Such a wonderful system. Really, there's a tradeoff between liberty and security. Just keep believing that. Just keep making that tradeoff. It's for your own good.

Of course, there's an academic paper detailing how any profile based security system is actually less secure than random searches, and, more importantly, detailing a general algorithm for defeating such measures. But hey, these are just liberal college people with an axe to grind. Probably not worth reading.

Comments:

I've only briefly read the academic paper so this is a question rather than a rejection of their study.

The paper seems to be comparing CAPS to random searches on the basis that CAPS is the only anti-terrorist system in place ie that no intelligence data concerning perceived attacks or terrorists is passed to the FAA or airport security (as CAPS on profiles ticket purchases).

I'd be *very* surprised if this is the case so in practice the current anti-terrorist screening model (CAPS and intelligence data) *may* be as effective as random searches

In theory random searches may be more effective than CAPS alone and a pragmatic approach would be to use both (which from my experience of airports seems to be the case and the study seems to suggest).

Of course the random search technique is exploitable too due to its reliance on humans to be subjective in choosing who to search (which is why the VC strapped explosives to children and women are used as hijackers)

Of course the brainwave scanners being developed by NASA to detect brainwave patterns in passengers that resemble those of terrorists will solve all of this ;-)